New York, February 12, 2026, 15:36 EST — Regular session
- McDonald’s climbed roughly 2.5% after quarterly sales topped expectations, giving investors something to chew on.
- Value meals and a push on marketing promotions helped draw more traffic, the company said.
- Next up: Friday’s U.S. CPI report, with traders searching for new clues on consumer pressure.
McDonald’s climbed 2.5% to $331.22 in Thursday afternoon trading, defying the broader market’s slide. The fast-food giant topped quarterly sales forecasts, thanks to value meals and ongoing promotions.
The bounce is significant at this stage: restaurants haven’t let up on discounts as diners get choosy. When McDonald’s manages to keep its lines moving, competitors tend to notice.
This is the next challenge—seeing if “value” offerings stick without eating into profits for good. So far, investors have shown little patience for discounts that don’t translate into returns.
McDonald’s Corporation reported a 5.7% jump in global comparable sales for the quarter ended Dec. 31, outpacing the 3.7% forecast from analysts. U.S. comparable sales climbed 6.8%. Adjusted earnings landed at $3.12 per share on $7.01 billion in revenue. Executives called out value deals and splashy marketing — the Grinch meal, for example, drove what they described as the company’s top single sales day ever. CEO Chris Kempczinski noted that “extra value” meal subsidies are winding down, stressing, “We don’t subsidize pricing on a permanent basis.” Looking ahead, McDonald’s is targeting operating margins in the mid-to-high 40% range by 2026, budgeting $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion for capital expenditures, and aiming to open around 2,600 restaurants globally. Jim Sanderson of Northcoast Research said McDonald’s will need to “continue to grind away with marketing and value promotions that keep traffic positive and growing.” Reuters
Shares moved between $320.28 and $332.75 on Thursday, as volume topped 4.7 million by mid-afternoon.
Peers moved in different directions. Shares of Restaurant Brands International slipped roughly 5.6%. The Burger King owner topped sales forecasts for the quarter but pointed to stubborn cost challenges—record-high beef prices and an 8.4% jump in supply-chain expenses over last year.
Still, there are hazards ahead. Lose those price-conscious customers as discounts vanish, and McDonald’s might have to lean more on promotions just to keep people coming through the doors. Margins don’t have much cushion for mistakes. Elsewhere, Indian regulators flagged a Jaipur McDonald’s for using old oil and rotten tomatoes, giving the franchise operator two weeks to fix the issues.
Investors have an eye on the drink initiative, looking to see if it actually pulls in more traffic outside the usual meal rush. They’re also focused on how fast those newly opened stores start throwing off real cash, rather than just making news.
All eyes shift to macro next. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics drops January’s consumer price index at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday — a release that can swing outlooks for household budgets and the staying power of the restaurant “value” trend. Bureau of Labor Statistics
